Vegan “Mozzarella” Sticks

Looking for a dairy-free alternative to the most popular appetizer around? Well, you’ve landed in the right place, because these Vegan Mozzarella Sticks are crispy, tangy and delightful.

As a child and young adult, mozzarella sticks were my favorite junk food. I’m sure I am not alone with this one. They were crunchy, stringy and yummy! I would always order them as an appetizer and feel full before my meal arrived. They were quite addictive and filling. I had no idea how bad cheese was for my body and how cruel it was. Now, I can still enjoy these fun snacks without all the junk with these Vegan Mozzarella Sticks.

For this recipe, I used hearts of palm as the cheese substitute. I know it sounds crazy, but it works well, I promise. When breaded & fried, they get a little stringy inside. No, it’s not exactly like cheese, but it’s just as delicious. Also, they have a hint of tang, just like cheese. Fried food in general is not healthy, but this vegan version is worlds healthier than the deep-fried cheese version. Also, a lot kinder, too.

When I purchase hearts of palm, I look for labels that say “sustainably harvested”. This way, I won’t be contributing to knocking down whole trees. Hearts of palm can be cultivated from a base plant… it has many branches & can be cut without killing the tree. This allows other branches to continue growing. I buy Native Forest, but there are other companies using the same practices.

Ok, let’s get started on these Vegan Mozzarella Sticks!

Prepare your breading station by placing 1/4 cup flour in a bowl or a plate & set aside. In another bowl, place 1/4 cup flour and 6 tablespoons of water together, mix well & set aside. In a third bowl or plate, mix bread crumbs and salt together, set aside.

Dry the hearts of palm with a hand towel to remove excess moisture. Next, place a heart of palm in the flour bowl and dredge.

Then place it in the batter mixture and cover all sides with batter. (allow run off batter to drip back into the bowl when removing).

Next place the battered heart of palm into the bread crumb bowl. Roll around and press, until completely covered in bread crumbs.

Place oil in a large pan over medium heat, until hot. You can test it by placing the edge of a breaded heart of palm in the oil, to hear if it’s ready. If it sizzles, you are ready to start frying.

Put each breaded heart of palm in the pan, and fry evenly on all sides, until golden brown. (to fry the ends, you can tilt the pan to one side & get all the hearts of palm to the edge & submerged in oil. When they’re golden brown, repeat for the other side)

When done, place on a large plate with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Enjoy!

If you make these vegan mozzarella sticks, or one of my other recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me, Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs.

4.75 from 4 votes

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Vegan Mozzarella Sticks

Prep Time

15mins

Cook Time

10mins

Total Time

25mins

Looking for a dairy-free alternative to the most popular appetizer around? Well, you've landed in the right place, because these Vegan Mozzarella Sticks are crispy, tang

Prepare your breading station by placing 1/4 cup flour in a bowl or a plate & set aside. In another bowl, place 1/4 cup flour and 6 tablespoons of water together, mix well & set aside. In a third bowl or plate, mix bread crumbs, garlic powder and salt together, set aside

Dry the hearts of palm with a hand towel to remove excess moisture

Next, place a heart of palm in the flour bowl and dredge. Then place it in the batter mixture and cover all sides with batter. (allow run off batter to drip back into the bowl when removing)

Next place the battered heart of palm into the bread crumb bowl. Roll around and press, until completely covered in bread crumbs. Repeat until all hearts of palm are breaded.

Place oil in a large pan over medium heat, until hot. You can test it by placing the edge of a breaded heart of palm in the oil, to hear if it’s ready. If it sizzles, you are ready to start frying

Put each breaded heart of palm in the pan, and fry evenly on all sides, until golden brown. (to fry the ends, you can tilt the pan to one side & get all the hearts of palm to the edge & submerged in oil. When they're golden brown, repeat for the other side)

When done, place on a large plate with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*If batter in bowl is too thick, a little more water can be added. One teaspoon at a time.

*When I purchase hearts of palm, I look for labels that say “sustainably harvested”. This way, I won’t be contributing to knocking down whole trees. Hearts of palm can be cultivated from a base plant… it has many branches & can be cut without killing the tree. This allows other branches to continue growing. I buy Native Forest, but there are other companies using the same practices.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Mozzarella Sticks

Amount Per Serving

Calories 230Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 11g55%

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 391mg16%

Potassium 52mg1%

Total Carbohydrates 22g7%

Dietary Fiber 1g4%

Sugars 0g

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A0%

Vitamin C0%

Calcium2.5%

Iron7.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Vegan “Mozzarella” Sticks was last modified: May 8th, 2017 by Melissa Huggins

22 Comments

This is such a clever cheesy makeover!! I used to love mozzarella sticks too, although honestly just thinking about them now I can’t imagine why, but this heart of palm version I am totally on board with. Especially dunked in that adorable little pot of marinara 🙂

WOW!!!Wow and wow!!! I’m also with you guys on mozzarella sticks, I swear I was addicted to them at some point! And heart of palm…that’s something I’ve never tried, so I’m off to do some research! 🙂 great share Melissa! x

Thank you so much! You should be able to find Heart of palm in most grocery stores. You’ll usually find it in a can or jar, near the pickles & artichokes. I know for sure that Trader Joe’s & Whole Foods carries them. Good luck finding them. It will be worth it 🙂

I just wanted to thank you for the recipe. A huge hit, even with my 12 year old. I always enjoy finding recipes I don’t have to alter in regards to food allergies). In the panko crumbs, I added garlic salt & Italian seasonings. I also decided to slice each piece lengthwise to double the amount. I used avocado oil and an iron skillet. They were great with just a little lemon squeezed on them or marinara.

Hi Karen, you’re very welcome. Thank you for making this recipes and for your lovely comment. I’m so happy that you guys liked them. Cutting them in half is a great idea! I’m going to try that next time 🙂

Hi Beatriz, thank you for stopping by. This recipe doesn’t replicate cheese flavor exactly. However, there is a slight “cheesy” tang from the brine that the hearts of palm were soaking in. Also, the hearts of palm get slightly stringy after being fried. They are really good. I haven’t tried it with nooch, but I’m sure it would be delicious. I’d love to hear how they work out for you. 🙂

If you are newly vegan and remember the taste of mozzarella sticks you might be disappointed with these. But if you aren’t trying to directly compare, these are a tasty treat! Such a good flavor and even though fried, much healthier than mozzarella! They look so pretty, too! I fried these in my deep fryer and they were quick to make!

Hi Melissa, yes, this is true…a newbie might expect something different. I’m actually working on a melty-cheese version right now. Fingers crossed. Thank you for making them, and for your feedback. Have a great week! 🙂

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Welcome to Vegan Huggs, a friendly and inspirational blog, about living a healthier and cruelty- free lifestyle. I hope I can encourage my readers, to eat more plant based foods and live a more natural and chemical free life.
-Melissa xoxo

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